Improvement in turn-tables



PATENT GEFICE.

WILLIAM WHARTON, JB., OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

BMPROVEMENT IN TURN-TABLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 135,304, dated January 28, 1873.

To all whom it 'may conce/rn:

Be it known that I, WM. WHARTON, J r., of the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Railroad Turn -Table, of which the following is a specification:

The object of my invention is to readily transfer railroad cars from one track to another, and at the same time to turn the cars from end to end; and this at the sacrifice of less road-space than has been heretofore demanded by the usual appliances for effecting the same purpose.`

I attain the desired object by means of a turn-table, A, having two tracks, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing, the two tracks being so adapted to the ends ofthe rails of two converging tracks, B and B', that cn moving acar from one track to the turn-table, and turning the latter half round, the car can be at once transferred to the other track, while the turn-table is, without further adjustment, in a condition for receiving a car from the first track.

The usual manner of transferring;` cars from one track to another at the terminus of a city railway will be best understood by referring to the diagram, Fig. 3, where A represents a turn-table at the terminus of two converging tracks, B and B. Where these two tracks cross and intersect each other there are the usual frogs and switches, and there is a single straight track, x, between the turn-table and the point where the rails of the two tracks intersect each other. It will be unnecessary to" explain how the cars can be moved along one track to the turn-table and, after being there turned, transferred to the other track. An

extended area of street surface is demanded by the straight single track w, which, together with the expensive frogs and switches, I dispense with by the use of a turn-table having two tracks at the point illustrated in Figs. l and 2 in relation to the converging tracks.

A car traversing the rails a a of the track B', Fig. 1, will be receivedbythe rails a. a of the turn-table, and on turning thelatter half round, to the position shown in Fig. 2, the said rails a a will coincide with the rails b b of the track B, to which the car can consequently be transferred 5 and the turn-table will, without further adjustment, be in a condition to receive another car from the track B', for the rails d d of the turn-table coincide with those of the said track B.

It will be observed that the rails of the turntable are curved in such a manner as to receive the cars from one track and transfer them to the other without subjecting them to any violent shocks or strains; in other words, the tracks of the turn-table form curved continuations of the permanent tracks, no matter which of the two positions the said turn-table may occupy, so that the transfer of the cars to and from the turn-table may be easily accomplished. Although I deem it important to have the rails on the turn-table curved in the manner described above, it is not absolutely essential to the successful carrying out of my invention that the said rails'should be curved.

Although I have described the turn-table as furnished with rails for forming two tracks, the latter may be formed by simply making curved grooves in the surface of the table.

I claim as my invention- The turn-table with two tracks, the rails of which are arranged side by side, in combination with the tracks of a permanent way, all substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WM. WHARTON, J R.

Witnesses:

WM. A. STEEL, HARRY W DOUTY. 

